The Great GRP Grand Slam!

On this preserve, campers and counselors alike seek the joy, and seek out four creatures specifically to fulfill the legendary GRAND SLAM. The Grand Slam is the scavenger hunt to beat all scavenger hunts, with campers having to use their eagle eyes and deer ears to spot a venomous snake, a turkey, a deer, and the mystical black bear. If the Grand Slam is completed, it means an ice cream party for the whole camp! Many campers try their whole GRP careers for this achievement and the chance to rock the Grand Slam T-shirt.

The snake was discovered early on in Session 3 when a group at Upper Bald discovered two rattlesnakes curled under a rock, as well as an extra snakeskin near the pair. The turkey and deer were found in quick succession, and with each announcement the excitement and energy heightened. Everyone was on the lookout, eyes peeled, for the lumbering animal, which historically has been the most difficult to spot.

Finally, the night of the Staff Hunt arrived, and a different kind of scavenger hunt ensued. Instead of animals, the campers traveled in packs to find their counselors and mentors hiding throughout base camp. Thoughts of a Grand Slam were put on the backburner in favor of finding the staff, some hiding in places where bears are typically spotted.

One group of intrepid campers traversed trails to get to the Archery range in search of a counselor, but found a much bigger discovery. There, in the brush, was a black bear snuffling around the range. The group missed the counselor hiding right under their feet (and reportedly very close to the bear), but they won the best prize of a camp-wide ice cream party and bragging rights for the rest of the session.

Story by Claire McDonald